7 Books to Give Your Mom This Mother’s Day

“I love you, here’s a book”

Mother’s Day gifts can be tough: You want to strike a balance between something thoughtful and something useful. Enter: Books. Whether mom’s a foodie or a world-traveler, consider giving her one of these seven terrific reads.

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For the mom who loves to cook

Cravings by Chrissy Teigen

In addition to recently becoming a first-time mom, Teigen also authored one of this spring’s best cookbooks. The model’s food obsession translates to a full and far-reaching compilation of recipes (like a semi-life-changing lemon cacio e pepe) and hilarious commentary (like a chapter called “Sh*t on Toast”).

For the grandma-to-be

Becoming Grandma by Lesley Stahl

Becoming a mom is one thing, but becoming a grandma is a whole different ball game, according to 60 Minutes’ Lesley Stahl. Moms-to-be should gift this sweet book to their moms and mothers-in-law for candid observations on how much having a grandchild changes a woman. (Hint: It often makes you way nicer.)

For the TV drama mama

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

This darkly comedic book concerns kindergarten moms, making new friends as an adult and, oh yeah, murder. Once she’s read it, Mom can look forward to watching the whole thing unfold on the small screen when the TV adaptation--starring and executive produced by Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon--airs on HBO sometime next year.

For the funny mom

Bossypants by Tina Fey

The whole thing is hysterical, obviously, but Fey’s passages about motherhood stand out for their frankness and honesty. Many moms will relate to her breastfeeding struggles--and pretty much all moms should consider memorizing her laugh out loud funny prayer for her daughter.

For the mom who’s way stressed out

Calm the F*ck Down by Sasha O’Hara

Maybe Mom doesn’t even have the energy to read a book. In that case, opt for a fun and relaxing coloring book (they’re all the rage), like this irreverent option that’s jam-packed with silly mantras like “Home is where the vodka is.” Oh, and maybe gift this bad boy along with a nice bottle of Merlot.

For the mom who loves to travel

The Book of Wanderings by Kimberly Meyer

This beautifully descriptive memoir follows Meyer, a self-described “bohemian-explorer-intellectual,” and her 18-year-old daughter, Ellie, on a soul-searching trip through Venice, Greece and Israel. Any mom who’s got tons of stamps on her passport will appreciate the wanderlusty aspects, and maybe even start brainstorming a trip of her own.

For pretty much any mom

Listen to Your Mother edited by Ann Imig

An edgy and honest collection of short essays by a diverse group of writers, “I Told You So” is almost painfully relatable. Some stories are light and funny, but many take a much more serious tone and offer moms a chance to commiserate on the less flowery aspects of raising kids. (Hi, financial stress and diaper rash.)